Do You Switch Colors Half Way Through Notes?

[Elyptic]

I noticed today that I seem to have an aversion to switching ink colors halfway through a day's notes at work. I'm not sure why, but I also prefer to write in the same color for the whole day when writing in my journal, even if there are entries at multiple different times during the day.

 

Anyone else do this? Do some people switch up colors midway through a topic? A paragraph?

 

I also notice that I prefer to use a different color each day (or at least alternate every other day) for both my work notes and my journal. This has the advantage of making my journal entries easy to differentiate.

 

Curious to hear other opinions on this!

[FayeV]

I tend to use several different colors in my journal, even on the same day. I may switch color when I come back to it later in the day. Or I'll switch color when I start a new paragraph or topic. I (almost) always write down the pen and ink in the margin. This helps me remember what combination I used when I flip through older pages and spot something I like.

[cpickersgill]

I have a Sailor desk pen set from the 70s And I keep the pen with the red dot on the end filled with Caran d'Ache Saffron (a warm orange) and the pen with the black dot on the end filled with Caran d'Ache Storm. I intend to use alternate colours day by day but the habit was not properly established when I had a problem with the Storm-filled pen (which turned out to be some fibres stuck under the nib -- I only finally got it cleaned yesterday usung an ultrasonic cleaner) so now I'm trying tomestablishnthe habit again.

 

For my notebook/journal I have a MB Starwalker Cool Blue and I use MB cartridges (easier when traveling) in Lavender Purple, which is a little too similar to Storm. I think I may change to using MB Oyster Grey in the Starwalker. And perhaps change to using my Starwalker Doue with it.

 

So for me, it's the pen and ink combo in my current favourites which is important. In fact, if I think of cleaning my desk pen to use another colour (and like a lot of people here, I have rather a lot of inks) it just feels wrong.

 

Elyptic, FayeV, how co you decide which colour to use next?

[ink-syringe]

 

yes.

[pmhudepo]

I like to have two or three different colours available throughout the day. I find this useful at work when making little sketches of databases, programs, data being sent from one system to another, etc. Notes are usually in just one colour, with a fine or medium nib; anything that I can use rapidly, no flex, no italic, just a smooth nib with a friendly ink.

 

At home I tend to use two colours: one for journal headings and one for the entries.

 

I tend to use the same colours for many weeks, both at home and work, although often a different set of pens and inks for each location.

[Charles Rice]

Yes, I sometimes switch. Has to be a new paragraph.

[Elyptic]

Elyptic, FayeV, how co you decide which colour to use next?

 

Next color for me tends to depend entirely on the week and what pens I've inked with what inks.

 

I recently started my weeks worth of pens on the weekend. If one runs dry half-way through the week, it either gets cleaned and put away until the next weekend, or re-filled with the same color depending how I liked the pen / ink combination.

[Elyptic]

I (almost) always write down the pen and ink in the margin. This helps me remember what combination I used when I flip through older pages and spot something I like.

 

This is a great idea. I really don't want to start a dedicated "pen / ink journal", due to the high number of combinations that are possible (even with < 10 pens and around 10 inks). This would allow me to flip through the journal and when I see something I like, stop and remember what it was! Now if only I left margins in my journals...

[Just I]

Absolutely! my work notes are very colourful, but switching ink colours makes it easier for me to find things.

[ac12]

In my journal, I will use a different color when I make a new entry. Example @0930 turquoise, @1450 green, @1730 blue

During an entry I may decide to use another pen/ink, I do that on a paragraph/thought change.

[FayeV]

Elyptic, FayeV, how co you decide which colour to use next?

 

I usually have 6 or 7 inked pens that I carry around with me wherever I go. I'll just choose from one of these.

 

When a pen runs out of ink, I will flush the pen and refill it with a different color. I may get lazy and refill with the same color one more time, but that is usually it. I only have one pen which is dedicated to just one ink and it only gets refilled with Waterman South Seas Blue.

[stevesurf]

Absolutely! my work notes are very colourful, but switching ink colours makes it easier for me to find things.

 

 

In my journal, I will use a different color when I make a new entry. Example @0930 turquoise, @1450 green, @1730 blue

During an entry I may decide to use another pen/ink, I do that on a paragraph/thought change.

 

Both exactly what I do. In fact I color code by categories, so if notes from one person has to do with healthcare, it's one color; school security is another. It helps me assign the projects later and find entries.

[arcadeflow]

Not usually, but I like having different colors in a notebook.

[Lou Erickson]

I keep two pens inked. I start my daily writing with one, and if it runs out, wherever it runs out, I switch to the other. The empty pen will be cleaned and a new pen picked and filled. I'll start the next day with the new pen. The link in my signature will show some of how this works out.

 

I don't (and should) write down the pen/ink combinations.

[senzen]

I try to write concise summaries of ideas, so it ends up being one or two paragraphs in one ink colour, sometimes with complementary snippets in others, and then I move on to a different colour for another main idea. I like the idea of organizing thoughts according to ranges of colours (blues, greens, etc) but haven't got there.

[SujiCorp12345]

I'll switch colours but only when I change topics/sections.

[inkstainedruth]

I like using a single ink for my daily journal entry. But then I'll switch it up with other pens and inks for the rest of the day.

Occasionally, though, I have to use more than one ink for the three pages of a journal entry when I run out of ink, but that annoys me for some reason.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Yaakova]

Only when my pen runs dry and the inkpot isn't nearby. I had two pens run dry on me at work yesterday. I went from Sheaffer Skrip Blue to Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black to Diamine Sherwood Green in the same sentence.

[Vgimlet]

Yes, regular notes, and also in my journal. Probably not work notes, though, for the sake of professionalism. I have color-coded subjects in my journal (red = important stuff, purple = exciting stuff, etc.) BUT they can be any shade of that color, so I can rotate through all my inked pens.

 

I have a lot of inked pens right now.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Vgimlet

[zaddick]

I usually use 3 pens a day at work. I switch between meetings and usually use one color per distinct topic (writings other than meetings). When creating charts or illustrations I use multiple colors at the same time.

 

I like to exercise my various pens and switch frequently.